The Inadvertent Farmer

KinderGARDENs Winners

I've spent the last couple of days going over our series and your wonderful posts.  I am amazed by the tenacity of we gardeners!

We've had unprecedented drought, tornadoes, hurricanes, and rains that lasted until August...this season was a hard gardening season.

Yet we still grew morning glory houses, popcorn mazes, oodles of veggies, and tons of smiles!

In spite of all of our weather woes we spent times with our kids and helped to teach them the importance of fresh from the garden foods grown by their own hands.

So due to all of this I just could not pick a winner this year...

(And our scheduled judge was unavailable)

We are all winners!

So I just ordered enough copies of 'Trowel and Error' and 'Toad Cottages and Shooting Stars' for everyone!  So if you linked up last week with a post highlighting what you did during our KinderGARDENs series you will get a copy of both books.

Email me at theinadvertentfarmerATgmail.com with your address for you books.

As for us we are still harvesting squash by the wheel barrow load, the corn is just trying to ripen, the blackberries are going crazy, and tomatoes...oh my goodness do we have tomatoes!

All the while I am planning and dreaming about next year, when the sun comes out again and we dance and play in our garden!

I will miss seeing your gardens every week, but look forward to next spring with you!

We're going to be doing a lot of projects here this winter, crafts with kids, painting of furniture, revealing of my new craft/sewing room, as well as new recipes galore so make sure you come visit often!

 

KinderGARDENS Wrap Up 2011

First of all I want to let you all know how much I have enjoyed touring your gardens this year.  Although we have survived torrential rains, blistering heat, and even hurricanes we have persevered.

I know some of our gardens did not live up to our expectations, but some passed them.  Either way our kids got to see the real life results of hard work and mother nature's whims!

So thanks to all of you who passed along in a very tangible way the love of gardening to the next generation...the world is a better place because of people like you!

So without further chit-chat from me...

Wait.

I forgot, I need to show you something!

This was a birthday gift from my sweet mom...yes as soon as the plum tomatoes are done where this is going to go, I will erect my very own greenhouse.  It will be 12 x 25' and I simply can't wait to be able to garden 12 months a year...yeah!

I'll be posting about this new project in upcoming weeks.

So again without any more talking,

Hold on just a moment...

I forgot to share this with you guys.  Remember how I always preach getting kids outside and into nature?  Well we did it in an unusual way lately...

We set up tables outside and with 12 little kids participating...we had a tie dye party!  Yes a whole girl's soccer team and one little brother got to tie dye their soccer uniforms.  Now this is my kind of garden party!

Like a rainbow came down and sat on one of my white pumpkins!

Ok now it really is your turn, link up your wrap up posts below...

 

 

KinderGARDENs the end Part 2

There have been some odd goings on around our KinderGARDENs...very odd indeed.

We have sent out secret agents to investigate...

 

It seems like our secret agent girl has found hidden around the chard and under the cabbage a sneaky late season strawberry!

The case was soon closed due to the evidence somehow being misplaced...errrr, eaten!

Every last one!

 

In other unsolved cases we have peppers being eaten by slugs...the criminal or criminals have yet to be apprehended.  Such an evil thing to do to a pepper!

Mr Blue Man Scarecrow needs a little visit from the fashion police...doesn't he know that country folk just don't wear their pants down like that?

And lastly are these cute little babies...

My little watermelon cuties...they very little hope of every ripening.

You see the rains are back.

Which also means all my garden photos will once again be soggy!

Make sure you put up a post this week that is a good overview of you KinderGARDEN this season

Then come back the first Thursday in August to see the winners...

Scratch that....

We are ALL winners!

 

 

 

 

 

KinderGARDENs The End... part 1

Hey everyone, I'm a little late getting the post up today and am splitting it into two parts due to the overwhelming amount of pictures I have to share about the end of the season here on the funny farm!

Next week I need you to do a wrap up post so I can send them off along with some of my favorite posts that I'll grab from your blogs to the judges!

So without further delay I'm going to share what's going on around here...

TOMATOES...oh my goodness I have been overrun!  My canner and dehydrator will be exhausted by it all!

But it does mean I have lots of tomatoes to play with!

 

We have our first Brussel Sprouts starting to form...

They will be so very good in our late Autumn dishes!

 

Our daisies are still blooming...

 

The morning glory in the maze had started to really bloom...finally!

 

The peppers are starting to turn from green to yellow to red...its about time!

 

The eggplants are doing their thang, which means...

Which means I can do mine...playing with my food!

 

In other words we have been busy as bees around here!  Make sure to come back on Monday for the second and somewhat crazy half of this installment!

How about you?  What does your late summer KinderGARDENs look like?

 

 

 

 

 

 

KinderGARDENS what is it with September?

Last year around this exact time we found out my widowed mother had breast cancer, surgeons, oncologists, chemo, and radiation invaded our lives...she is doing great btw!

This last week we have found out that our 21 year old needs to have back surgery...BACK SURGERY at 21?  Ughhh it makes me crazy thinking this, my poor boy!

I have spent the last week starting homeschool, harvesting and all that entails, and...

Spending hours and hours on the phone talking, pleading, and threatening various health insurance people letting them know that I will not let just anyone operate on my baby.

I will not let him be sliced open by anyone but the most gifted cutting edge Neurosurgeon...even if that mean I have to raise hell and put a prop under it!

So my most sincere apologies for dropping of the face of the earth for a week but well...

September happens!

Ohhh and my camera is completely broken...won't even turn on...sigh.

So where does that leave our KinderGARDEN?  Well it has been slightly neglected, the weeds are creeping in and it could use some more watering.  The kids are still running out there for treats like tomatoes, peppers, beans and of course it is also blackberry season.

They come in each and every day with hands and faces stained purple with blackberry juice...love that!

 

I am hoping to have Sharon Lovejoy here next week to wrap up our series and start to looking over all of your posts to determine some of the very best KinderGARDENS!

So for today I'm going to turn this post over to you guys.

And if any of you have some advice for me about making a HMO do what you want please let me know!

 

KinderGARDENS week 18 Perseverance!

Its September...whoa...how did that happen?

Enthusiasm for the garden can sometimes wane in the last few weeks of summer.

As KinderGARDENers we have had to deal with hungry bugs, large weeds, unusually hot temperatures, unseasonabley cold weather, drought, ...and even hurricanes named Irene! 

No wonder we are all exhausted!

But as gardeners we must persevere...for we know that there is fall planting to be done, clean up to commence, and spring to dream about! 

I love that about gardening, it is a dream that begins anew each and every year!

Speaking of perseverance...we finally just may get some corn this year!  We have never grown corn to actually get corn.  We have always grown corn more for the novelty of a corn stalk here and there.  Since I cleared more ground in the garden we had room for a corn patch and we now have tiny ears starting to grow...come on summer last long enough to eat our own corn on the cob! 

 

Squash I can grow...I am the queen of squash! They seem to have no insect pests here...knock on wood. These are our Sweet Meat squash that will fill our tummies with all kind of deliciousness as well as rock the freezer all winter long.  Long live squash!

 

The sunflowers were a little slow to start (due to summer being a LOT slow to start) but they seem to have finally decided to grow...and grow the most certainly did!  I love how they are like giants with big pouty heads! 

 

We have been eating a lot of these...simple summer salads.  This one is yellow snap beans lightly blanched with tomatoes, cucumbers, and purple broccoli in a garlic vinegrette...yum!

Speaking of tomatoes...

 Sweet Girl asked me why I always wear a skirt when gardening.

These would be hard to stuff in my jean pockets was my answer.

But then she asked me why I just don't use a basket!

That would involve me remembering to bring a basket now wouldn't it...and we all know me too well to expect that!

 

So while the sun is quickly setting on this gardening season lets not forget to keep up the enthusiasm for our gardens...we shall persevere against sun and slugs and even hurricanes!

Remember to come back tomorrow to see who won the recycled garden box! 

 

KinderGARDENS Review and Giveaway!

Thanks for the patience...I am almost done with the apples.  I went and picked 4 boxes of the very best sauce apples in the world!  I am hoping for 20 quarts or so, but if the kids don't keep eating it so fast I might have much less!

Today I'm going to do something I have never done before. I am going to review a product that was sent to me this spring.  I waited this long to make sure how well it would hold up to a real garden under real use of more than real kids!

At the end of a straw covered path is a little garden box...just past the potatoes, to the left of the sunflower maze.  It is planted, thanks to Sweet Girl, with pink geraniums, yellow daisies and strawberries.

This bed if from Greedland Gardner.  It 42" x 42", is made from recycled plastic and wood waste.  I am not usually a fan of plastic due to the petro-chemicals used to make it.  But with each of these beds 22 pounds of plastic and wood waste is saved from the landfall...right on!

The advantage of these beds is that they will not rot (like my wood beds are doing as we speak), the do not split or splinter either.

The are super easy to assemble due to the unique corners...

The side boards just slide into these.

Now I must say that if I was using this somewhere highly ornamental (which is no where on this farm) I would love to see some kind of nice caps for the corners to finish them off.  For my purposes these are perfectly fine.

This box has been in the garden all season weathering rain, sun, escaped chickens and small children...it has come through with flying colors.

I liked it so much that I am giving one away to a lucky reader!  Just leave a comment letting me know what you would plant in a garden bed like this one.

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There are also lots of other things happening in this week's KinderGARDEN!

We have butterflies galore...friendly ones that like to hang out on turquoise sweatshirts!

 

The sunflowers around the maze have grown gigantic!

 

We planted over 100 pre-sprouted seeds and only about 20 survived...but the ones that are here are simply stunning!

 

The cabbage family is growing in fun colors!

 

Dahlias are making their showy appearance...LOVE these!  BTW, my un-gardener hubby planted these, rock on sweetie!

 

Blueberry season has just finished its peak and we have been eating, baking, preserving...and playing with blueberries!  As you can see Sweet Girl was comparing daddy, mama, and baby blueberries.

If I could give anyone a tip to a great blueberry patch it is to plant early, mid, and late season blueberries...we have a season that extends almost 3 months!

So did you go out at dawn and take photos?  I can't wait to see them!

I'll leave the link-up up until Wednesday night at 10pm...now I'm off to finish applesauce!

 

 

 

KinderGARDENS...delayed!

I got an unexpected call early this morning from a friend who has a large tree of yellow transparent apples that were more than ready to pick...if you know anything about old apples you know that this type makes about the best applesauce ever!  I could not pass up the opportunity for free amazingly delicious apples.

So after a morning of picking I am now chained to the stove and canner making applesauce because in this heat they will never last!

Meet this year's applesauce!

I will post KinderGARDENS on Monday with a great giveaway and review of a new product.

Until then...

Carry on!

YUM!

KinderGARDENS week 16 Your Garden in a New Light

First let me update you on what's been going on around here:

New Donkeys, tomatoes ripening, new greenhouse, new bunny yard for the garden, zucchini taking over the world...you know the usual insanity!

But first before we get into this week's assignment let me show you the maze...

The sunflowers are way, way over the kids' heads now, which make for a jungle like path through the maze!

This is at sunset when all is quiet in the garden.  The scarecrow did a bang up job keeping the birds out of the raspberries...great job Blue Man!

The morning glory tunnel did not work out...I must be the only person on the planet that cannot for the life of them grow morning glory.  It is considered a weed in many parts of the country!  Next year I'm going to try hops!

Now for this week's assignment:

Your Garden at Dawn (or Dusk)

There is no more magical time in the garden than just as the sun is coming up or going down.  This week I would love to see you share pics of your garden (and kiddos if they are up!) at sunrise or sunset...

The light just cannot be any better than it is first thing in the morning!

You might even catch a sunflare or two!

Or a critter or two...even the cutest of creatures are somehow turned magical at dawn!

Some are more magical than others...ahem.

So set your alarm clocks for early one morning this week and see what you can capture...I promise you will not be sorry.

And the coffee is on me!

*****

Next Week:  I am reviewing a raised bed garden system and one lucky reader will get to have one of there very own!

Carry on...

 

KinderGARDENS week 15 Sun and Snow

I found a little bit of wi-fi floating around in the air here at the motel.  So while we are doing this...

Water Park Moses Lake Washington

And eating this...

Beginnings of blueberry cherry ice cream

And hanging out here...

Top of Chinook Pass next to Mt. Rainier

Yours will be the only garden updates this week...rock on KinderGARDENERS!

 

KinderGARDENs week 14 I'm in Love!

I love animals and thoroughly enjoy having them here on the farm.  Yesterday we were lucky enough to have 3 donkeys join our little funny farm.

Yet something unexpected happened last night as I was sitting on a chair in the middle of the pasture getting to know them...

I was smitten.  They are such curious and gentle creatures.  They were slightly cautious at first, but I bribed them into coming to me.

After they realized I brought apples they were as friendly as could be...yes the way to an animals heart is certainly through its stomach!

 

Meet Jackson...he the daddy donkey (Danni he has been gelded since siring his daughter!) he is just a few years old and is beautiful!  He is curious and friendly, we are hoping to get him used to the kids sitting on his back.

 

This is Jennifer...she is the mama donkey.  She is 10 years old and is the most friendly of the bunch.  She is calm and sweet and the kids can already ride her while I lead.  She is also trying to wean a 1 year old daughter...ahhh I feel your pain sweet girl, been there and soooo done that!

 

This is Elska...she is 1 year old and is the most hesitant of the group.  She is a tad nervous about us but she is lovely and I'm quite sure we can win her over.

I must say I am completely in love with these three and am going to have to discipline myself to get my outside chores done instead of hanging out with them all day!

But we also have other fun things going on around here...

Every morning the kids go out to the blueberry patch to gather berries for breakfast.

 

Yesterday Sweet Girl decided to make a mud pancake to go with her blueberries...yummm!

 

We've got spiders on sunflowers...

 

As well as daisies!

 

The honey bees are doing what honey bees do...working non-stop!

 

We on the other hand take the time to relax and share a bowl of homemade vanilla coconut ice cream (recipe next week)...ohhh it is delicious!  This is a weekly ritual for hubby and the kids.

Speaking of food...

Did you all notice that we have now given 42.5 pounds of food in our Grow to Give program...yeah!

I know as the season goes on that number will grow substantially!  Just remember to involve the kids in the giving.  Explain to them about hunger and want, let them learn to reach outside themselves to care and give.

That is our week, how about you?  How is your KinderGARDEN growing?

 

 

 

 

KinderGARDENS week 13 Rainbow Hunt

When I was talking to my kiddos this week and we were brainstorming how we could do a scavenger hunt for KinderGARDENS, they came up with all kinds of ideas...

Baby Boy:  Garden Bugs, Garden Monsters, Slugs, Garden Super Heros.

Sweet Girl: Prettiest Color, Favorite Vegetable, Nicest Bugs, Most beautiful Chicken

I decided to go with one of Sweet Girl's ideas, but instead of looking for the prettiest color we have decided to see how many colors we could find in the garden!

Of course things like green and yellow were easy to find but I had the darndest time finding black or grey...maybe you will have better luck! 

And to make Baby Boy happy, we are going to see who can come up with the most colorful insect this week!

So here we go, let's find the rainbow!

Purple Cauliflower, Potato Blossom, Chicken House...

Blue Berries, BlueMan Scarecrow, Blue Borage an herb planted for our bees.

 

Field Daisies, Early Girl Tomato, Nasturtium Leaves...

 

Sweet Meat Squash Bloosom, Sunflower, Broccoli Blooms...

 

SunGold Tomato, Nasturtium, Marigold...

 

Pink Swiss Chard, Pink Dahlia, Cosmos

 

Red Raspberry, Red Bucket,???... I don't remember!

 

White Rose, Cosmo, Guara... or "Whirling butterflies" (thanks Eileen!)

 

This is for Baby Boy, Bugs! 

Sorry Baby, no super heroes.

 

Well maybe just one...

Captain Pajamas to the rescue...on guard!

 

Alpacas Arrive KinderGARDENS week 12

We have been waiting and waiting for them...

They finally arrived yesterday!

 

Alpacas! Three females and their cria...two white girls and a carmel colored little boy.

 

And MoJo our new male (neutered...shhh don't tell him)

They are very curious about everything in their new home, the dog, the kids, and especially the llamas!

 

Who were equally curious about them.  They have been staring across the field at each other since yesterday...just staring!

 

So today we are just hanging out getting to know each other!

 

Alpacas?  Why?

As with the other animals around here the Alpacas are just for fun.  I probably won't do anything with them but enjoy their company. Farm ornaments as I like to call them!

But I will gladly use their manure in the garden...if they are anything like the llamas there will be a few very large community piles around the pasture which are easy to collect.  I add them to the compost pile or directly to the beds a few weeks before planting in the spring, either way the stuff is marvelous!

So my question for you is...

Do you have animals? 

What kinds? 

Do you incorporate them in your KinderGARDEN?

Besides the manure from the animals in the pasture we have a cat that hangs out in the garden keeping down the mice.

We also let the ducks into the garden from time to time to help with the slugs.

The chickens free range in the garden in the winter to to eat whatever they can find.

And let's not forget the rock star of the garden...

Ollie, he lives full time in the garden in a 'rabbit tractor' of sorts.  He is moved around from here to there eating down unwanted grass and leaving his little pellets behind to fertilize...yes he is indeed a superstar!

Note:  if you follow the above link I apologize ahead of time for the skinny dipping reference and the turky head thing...sorry. 

That's all I've got...what about you?

I can't wait to hear about what critters you guys have!

*****

New Blog Button...notice there is now a 'Grow to Give' button in the right sidebar?  Each week I will update it and in the tomato put the amount in pounds of food we give away.  Just let me know and I'll keep a runny tally.

I'm so thrilled that we are teaching our little ones to think outside of themselves to help those in need!

Here is a link to the original post on Grow to Give if you want more information on where to give to.

*****

Next week we are going to have a scavenger hunt for the kids...come prepared to play!

*****

 

 

KinderGARDENS week 11 its Raining again

Well we have gone from this...

All sunshine and loveliness...

(as a side note of complete honesty...that is my compost pile behind Baby Boy.  Hmmm, I'm thinking I need to do something about that, good grief!)

 

With all our little pollinators so covered with pollen they could hardly fly...

 

To this... everything being all wet and droopy.

But we do have a few exciting updates!

So come on in and take a look around...

 

The Scarlett Runner Beans are blooming!

 

And twining...

 

The cucumbers are finally blooming.

 

The maze is slowly starting to fill in.

 

As are each bed...this one has from front to back...eggplant, lentils, heirloom bush beans, early tomatoes. 

I have completely mixed up all my beds this year with a variety of plants from different botanical families in each bed.  It should make crop rotation a nightmare next year!  But I like the mixed up look better than the one bed, one crop, look of past years...much more fun!

 

On a completely different subject may I just suggest that everyone have this in their gardens?  Yes everyone needs a chicken or two, or twenty...they are just so much fun to listen to and watch while you're out their weeding!

And if you have chickens you have an excuse for a chicken yard, which leads to a reason for having these growing on said chicken yard fence...

Which of course in turns leads to an excuse for...

Taking a little break from weeding, to take a few photos of the roses blooming, on the chicken yard fence, all because you have chickens in your garden...see my logic?

So until the sun comes out and we are back to doing this...

I'll be doing this...

Taking pictures of sad, sad flowers that have tipped completely upside down due to moisture overload!

*****

Next week look for the new button in the sidebar for our 'Grow to Give' campaign for giving our produce to those hungry in our communities.

I can't wait to see how many pounds we can give to those in need!

*****

 

KinderGARDENS week 10 Up Close

First I want to share with you my favorite quote from the KinderGARDENS posts last week...

"I'm dressed like a vampire because I sunburn faster than a naked hen"

Pretty much had me chuckling all week! 

You'll have to go through the links from last week to find out who said that...you are supposed to be visiting everyone anyway, ahem.

*****

This week I did something I haven't done in a looooong time.

I got out my macro lens...

I forgot how different the garden looks when you get up close.

As a gardener I tend to take a longer view...I rarely take the time to appreciate the beautiful nature of a leaf or an individual blossom.  I am more concerned with keeping ahead of the weeds, killing slugs and watering.  I forget to take the time to look, really look, at the wonders that are in my garden!

 

This is what the tiny blooms from buckwheat look like!  I rarely give them a second thought when I plant them as a cover crop for the bees.  Frankly until today I did not realize just how lovely they were.

 

This is what a green lentil seedling looks like at 4 days old!  I have never grown lentils before, I can't wait!

 

Baby yellow zucchini!

 

Baby green zucchini.

 

I rarely take the time to stop and look at a pea tendril...the are very cool!

 

Even the showiest of flowers takes on a whole new dimension when seen up close.

 

What I thought was a plain white blossom is not so plain from here!

This is going to be your assignment for next week.  Take the time to look at your garden not as a whole but as lovely individual plants.  Get out your cameras and document the wonder of the up close world of gardening!

Even weeds can be beautiful up close!

 

As can be the first tomato of the season that you do not share with your kids...not that I know anyone that would do such a thing!

So have fun with it! 

Photo tip:  I have found that with macro-photography the best trick is to hold very still.  Propping your camera on something whether it be a tripod, piece of wood or your knee, helps tremendously!  And you don't need a macro lens to take tight shots, just get as close as your regular lens will allow and be still!

*****

 

KinderGARDENS week 9 Kids Behind the Camera

I've updated the KinderGARDENS page, just click on the button on the sidebar.

I've also started a new blogroll page I am almost done, check back later today to make sure you are included...if not let me know. Editing note:  The blogroll button is now up...see the muddy hand in the right hand column?  Just click and make sure you're there!

*****

So this week we are sharing the photos our kiddos took this week (or directed up to take) in the garden.

I sent 8 year old Sweet Girl out to the garden this morning between rain showers with my camera.  I stayed in the house with Baby Boy talking about who would win a fight between a T-Rex and a Locomotive...my bets on the train!

When she came back in she handed me the camera and said

Be careful...there are a lot of pictures.

200+ pictures later I'm still looking through them all!  But I have come to the conclusion...

My girl likes flowers!

I was surprised how clear the Cosmo shots were considering she rarely holds still!

 

I see she picked a little snack while out there.

 

Goodness that scarecrow looks big from a kid's perspective!

 

Mama Llama in the tomato patch...well almost!

 

Raised beds...ughhh I need to do some clean up around the garden!

 

This post brought to you by Sweet Girl...Garden Princess!

 

 

KinderGARDENS Kids and Cameras your Assignment

Welcome to week 8 of KinderGARDENS 2011...on the right day this time!

This time last year our assignment was to hand over our cameras to our kiddos and let them loose in the garden. I loved the results so we're doing it again this season! This gives us an opportunity to see the garden through their eyes, to find out what captures their interest!

So come back next week and share photos that your kids have taken...and if you babies aren't old enough yet them let them direct you as to what they want you to take pictures of.  Make sure to share the finished posts with them!

I can't wait to see what they come up with!

*****

We finally had an 80 degree day here...it lasted one day and then we plunged back into the 60's.  The weather man is messing with my brain!

But we do have...

Pea blossoms...its about time!

Which invariable will lead to the invasion of...

the Pea Monster! 

Our beans are up...now to keep the crows and rabbits out of them!  Speaking of keeping things away...

Our scarecrow has gotten himself a new pair of boots and is doing a fine job just standing in the raspberry patch doing nothing!

The bees are enjoying the raspberry blossoms, we have three kinds of bees out in the patch, hubbies honey bees, mason bees, and some kind of big bumble bee.  The kids have been avoiding going out there due to the invasion...I could not be happier!

Sorry about the big alien finger in the shot!

Our tomatoes have a few green babies growing...my mouth is watering just dreaming of the first from the garden tomato this year...yummmmm!

We're growing purple broccoli for the first time this year and I must say the kids are completely intrigued.  This one is growing in their maze and they check on it every day!  We've also planted purple and orange cauliflower...can't wait!

Can't wait for these little guys to ripen too!

When my mom moved up she had lots cute little decorations from her garden that Sweet Girl has been having fun adorning our garden with!

Finally our beets are up!  I do not do well with root crops.  We have heavy soil that I have worked hard to ammend but still root crops are a huge challenge for me, which it too bad because I love them.  Hopefully this years beets will do better than last.

Do any of you have any tips for growing root veggies?  They seem to allude me...

*****

For a little KinderGARDENs housekeeping!  I am going to go to each of your blogs and grab your buttons to put here for the blogroll.  If you don't have a button not to worry I will put up your name as a link.

*****

 

 

 

KinderGARDENS Giveaway Winner & Brain Freeze

OK...how did you all let me forget? 

I forgot 2 things... first I forgot what day of the week it was and didn't post my KinderGARDENS post yesterday because I though yesterday was Wednesday.  I spent all day in the garden happily unaware that I had completely and thoroughly forgotten what day it was.

Secondly...

Remember the drawing for the wonderful book 'Sunflowers Houses' by our lovely judge Sharon Lovejoy?

Well I do have a winner...have had for a couple of weeks now...ughh I'm such a flake!

Our winner is...

Michele over at Mother of Pearls and & an Emerald.  If you haven't had a chance to check out her tunnel with a hopscotch game inside you really should...it rocks!  So Michele if you email me at [email protected] and give me your address I will ship it right to ya...congrats!

I am so sorry...I sooo very much look forward do seeing your gardens each week.  I promise not to forget which day it is again.  Well I'll try anyway!

*****

So how was your week?  We finally got a little sun...a little...but I won't complain because it didn't rain every day!

In fact all these photos were taken last night at almost 9pm...explains why the kids are in their pj's!!!

Although not sure what would explaing the silly behavior every time I take out my camera...ahem.

They take after my husband's side of the family for sure...mine is too dignified for hanging out in the pasture, in our pajamas, for the whole world to see.  Nope never would do that!

Everything so so ethereal just as the sun is dipping behind the fir covered hills...yes farmers can use words like 'ethereal'...whether we are exactly sure of their meaning or not!

e·the·re·al/iˈTHi(ə)rēəl/Adjective

1. Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.

2. Heavenly or spiritual: "ethereal, otherworldly visions".

 

Our vocabulary word of the day...go and use it and see how it fits ya!

I cannot get over how fast mint grows...I am so glad it is in my old but or I'm pretty sure it would have taken over at least half the garden!

 

I've had this old bed stored away for years and years...I conceived my third son in this bed.  Well not just me...I had help.  Sorry, too much information?

I haven't built the box for it yet, therefore it has not been planted, therefore Baby Boy had deemed it his personal jungle gym...he was not conceived in this bed so its ok!

Moving on.

 

We planted corn and beans yesterday.  I learned my lesson from last year...wait to plant beans or they will rot...3 times!  I have never grown corn en masse so keep your finders crossed for me!

en masse/än ˈmas/

Adverb: In a group; all together

Just call me Webster...feeling the vocabulary groove!

 

This is my favorite photo for a long time...you know I say that all the time.  But it is...very ethereal!

I love this photo...it is one of my very favorites...ahem.

Chives...God love 'em!

 

So lets recap our week...

Laundry, dishes, snotty noses, dirty feet, not to mention, forgetfulness...

Chives blooming, potatoes sprouting, peas climbing, squash creeping, people gardening.

It has been a good week!

Dear Lord thank your for giving us this earth to dig in, cry over, find peace in, and eat from...we are indeed blessed beyond measure.

*****

I'm keeping the links up an extra day due to my...brain fart!

 

KinderGARDENS on Pest Control!

There are some great things about living in the Pacific Northwest.

First we have no poisonous snakes, fire ants, or killer bees.

We have no tornadoes or hurricanes...so far!

We rarely if ever have serious drought.

Our summer's are relatively dry and mild.

From a gardener's stand point this is pretty much Nirvana...

Well except for the rain, which there is nothing we can do about...just dance in the puddles!

I am going to ask your help today is dealing with a few of the garden annoyances we do have here as well as ideas for dealing with your particular garden pests.

I was asked by a new gardener (Hi Amy!) if scarecrows worked and how she could keep birds from eating her pea and bean sprouts.

This started me thinking about my favorite pest controls.

First I do not know if the scarecrow will work in the raspberries...I suspect not but am hoping so!  I will also add bird tape (a metalic tape that flutters in the wind makes noise and flashes) which was somewhat effective last season.

I also use pie plates for birds which seems to work well but...as you can see by the arrow does not intimidate mice in one bit!

For those I use traps, a cat...and olive oil! 

And as you can see by the pictures the cat has no effect on my number one nemisis...

The mascot of the Pacific Coast...

The slug!

Which is one of the reasons I have children...

To take aim at the slugs with pitchforks.

You know you're a hick when you make it a summer's evening game to see who can impale the most slugs on his/her pitchfork!

I use floating row covers for cabbage moths and chicken wire over some sprouts to keep off the bunnies.

I am also extending my electric fence to cover the very bottom of my garden fence to try to detour the cute little guys.

So what about you?

What are some of your favorite ways (that don't include poison) to keep pests out of your garden and off of your precious fruits and veggies?

*****

 

A Famous Author and Scarecrow in our KinderGARDENs!

The kids and I spent yesterday afternoon making this guy for our raspberry patch!

We made him for a few reasons...

First we are hoping to keep the birds off the berries.

Secondly Monday was the 6th anniversary of my dad's death.  He loved to garden and that is his shirt and hat.

Thirdly we love these guys!

So meet 'Blue Man'...farmer style!

He's a BIG hit with the kiddos! 

We just need to find him a proper pair of muckboots...and a drum full of paint!

Elsewhere in the garden we have new blooms, slightly battered from the rain but blooming nonetheless!

We have morning glories just poking their heads out of the soil to soon grow up and over adorning our morning glory tunnel!

We also have buckwheat, a cover crop I plant for the honey bees, just sprouting.

 

Purple cauliflower is not minding the damp weather around here...

The tomatoes on the otherhand are grumpy.  The peppers are tucked into their tunnel so they are a a bit happier.  Potatoes are yet to surface, beans aren't up, and the eggplant are tucked in their bed just waiting...

We are all just waiting for the sun to come out and make it all grow!

*****

In honor of the first KinderGARDENS of June and because I love you all so much...

We're doing our first book giveaway of the series (just leave a comment before Wednesday June 8 before 7pm Pacific time.)

I am giving away one of my all time favorite gardening with kids book...

SUNFLOWER HOUSES a book for children and their grown-ups.  This book is simply chock full of ideas to make gardening with children simply enchanting!

"Celebrating the lore of the garden and the joy of interacting with nature, Sunflower Houses is a unique garden lover's miscellany, a collection of memories, poems, activities, garden plans, crafts, botanical riddles, stories, games, and planting projects. There are inspirations for a Floral Clock Garden, A Child's Own Rainbow, Faerie Tea Parties, and, of course, the Sunflower House. Plus, from garden lovers, stories of favorite flowers. Throughout are the artist's warm and appealing watercolors of a life in gardening remembered."

I purchased this back in the early 90's when it came out and have given it as a gift more times than I remember...new parents and new gardeners alike were likely to get this in one of my gift baskets!

Sharon Lovejoy has numerous books on the subject of gardening with children, in fact...

She is so well versed in it that she has agreed to be one of our judges!

I cannot tell you how simply thrilled I am to have such a knowledgable person joining in the fun here...she has even agreed to an interview later in the summer!

WhoooHooo!

Here is her blog

*****

 

 

Purposeful and Deliberate Gardening KinderGARDENS

pur·pose·ful  (pûrps-fl) adj.

1. Having a purpose; intentional

2. Having or manifesting purpose; determined

in·ten·tion·al  (n-tnsh-nl) adj.

 

1. Done deliberately; intended

*****

When I was visiting all the links for last weeks KinderGARDENS (one of my favorite things to do btw!) I came to the blog post over at The Old Nichols Farm where the reality of gardening with little ones was explored...it even involves wood ticks!

The post got me thinking about how we here at KinderGARDENS are trying to be purposeful and deliberate when it comes to involving our kids in the gardening process.  And if we are completely honest it isn't always easy...

Little hands are sometimes clumsy. 

Little boots sometimes trample on seedlings.

Fights break out...all the while you are rushing against weather to get in the beans, transplant the tomatoes and get the peppers covered.

Sometimes having little helpers is no help at all!

Yet...

When we purposefully and deliberately invite children into the garden we share with them the wonders of growing things.

 

They learn about science of soil by exploring composting, examining creatures that live in the soil...

And of course...eating a little dirt along the way is expected!

They learn the magic of watching a tiny seed sprout and grow...

Into sunflower giant!

They also learn that freshly grown food is yummy...afterall it must be good because they had a hand in growing it!

So this gardening season lets be purposeful and deliberate with the small gardeners in our lives.  It won't always be easy, expedient, convenient, or remotely clean. 

But remember that just like spring, the season we get to spend gardening with them when they are little is all too short. 

Before you know it they will be all up and grown...trust me on this.

And if you've done your job right they will someday be calling you from Nevada wanting to know when is the best time to set out tomatoes and what gardening zone they are now in!

*****

So fellow purposeful gardeners...what have you been up to this week?

KinderGARDENS week 3 the Maze is UP!

I promised last week that I would follow my own assignment and let you all know our plans for this year.

Since the maze was such a hit we have expanded and found a permanent home for it in the garden!

The kids and I have thought a lot about what we wanted to plant this year around the maze. 

Sweet Girl has always wanted to grow mint...and of course being soooo invasive I have always said no.  We now have compromised and filled an old washtub with three varieties of mint, apple, pineapple, and peppermint.  We've set the tub right by the entrance to the maze.  She loves to go by and pick a leaf to chew on.

They wanted more tunnels in the maze.  This is at the entrance, it is for the gourds to grow on.

This is planted on either side with blue morning glories.  This is also the one I keep hitting my head on...guess I need to do something about that!

Last year's maze was primarily sunflowers.  This year we are adding Hollyhocks to the mix!

On either side of the maze there is a row of tomatoes.  I talked to the kids and let them pick out their favorites to plant.  Of course they both chose all the cherry tomatoes...so cherry tomatoes it is! 

I'm also putting a row of potatoes next to the maze because the kids feel that the potatoes are pretty much theirs as they are the ones to harvest them each year.

Giant Dahlias are also on tap for this year!  Scarlet runner beans, peas, cosmos, nasturtiums, and daisies for daisy chains are also going to find a home in this years maze.

And as soon as the weather clears we'll get our red chairs out of the garage and add them too!  But this year I'm putting my own chair in...I'm tired of having to sit on the ground!

Lastly we've moved Ollie to a new home closer to the maze so he can hang out and enjoy the summer fun with the kiddos!

Now if I could just get the weather to cooperate we will soon have a rockin' maze to hang out and enjoy the summer in!

I can't wait!

*****

So what have you been up to this week?

 

 

 

kinderGARDENS Grow to Give

First of all WELCOME to all of you who joined us last week as we kicked off another kiderGARDENing season.  As with last year's series it is never too late to join us!

I'm sorry that I haven't gotten to visit yet...thanks to my darling children I have had pink-eye and frankly I spent as much time as possible with my eyes closed!

But I am on the mend and can now open up long enough to write a post and do some blog hoppin'!

Next week I'll update you on my garden but this week I have something much more important to share!

*****

Did you know?

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1 in 8 households in the United States experiences hunger or the risk of hunger. Many frequently skip meals or eat too little, sometimes going without food for an entire day.

Approximately 33 million people, including 13 million children, have substandard diets or must resort to seeking emergency food because they cannot always afford the food they need. The demand for hunger assistance has increased by 70% in recent years, and research shows that hundreds of hungry children and adults are turned away from food banks each year because of lack of resources.' (Garden Writers Association)

I cannot imagine having to tell my children "Sorry but we have nothing to eat" and mean more than we're out of snack foods.  I cannot imagine not being sure I would have food for dinner for my family. I cannot imagine...

But unfortunately this is the reality for millions of people...parents like us.

I want to help change that.

This year I have contacted two charities in my area (our homeless shelter and a community service organization) that will gladly take any produce I grow this year and either use it to make meals or distribute it to those in need.

I am not just talking just extra zucchini...I am talking about rows of food that I have planted specifically to give away to those in my area that are in need.

I want to purposely give.

I would like to ask everyone in the kinderGARDENS series that can, to join me and purposely plant extra this year for the hungry.

As passionate as I am about teaching our children to garden I am equally passionate about showing them to reach beyond their little universes...to see those in need and purposely doing something to help someone else.

This is a perfect way to combine two life skills...growing and giving!

We'll call this new component to our series Grow to Give

I'll keep a running total of the pounds of food we grow and give in the side column here, you are welcome to do the same on your own blogs.

And if anyone is interested the Garden writers association has a program called 'Plant a Row for the Hungry' which is a national movement to help grow food for those in need.

Ask around your community, find out what resources there are for the hungry and if they could use your fresh locally grown produce.  Or join a national organization like Plant a Row. Or you could also find a family in need and share with them...

Anyway you choose to give...just give!

*****

Here is the time where we get to link up and peek inside each other's gardens.

Feel free to continue your introductions and plans for this year or update us on how your garden is growing already.